cherish
by BubblesToo
Summary: "Loving someone doesn't mean they have to be theirs, if you're happy then i am too sasuke-kun" his eyes widened 'tch annoying' sasusaku - blank period - post redemption - oneshot


**hihi sorry this is my first time writing fanfic and um I've never written anything before, so um enjoy! leave a review and yeah, I think it turned out pre-cool, Sasuke may be a little OOC so let's hope this works out**

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It's been two years…

Sasuke thought to himself as he walked through the gates of Konoha at midnight. Everyone's asleep, not a flash of yellow, pink or silver at the gates. He'd expected a blur of pink to tackle him with a hug the moment he stepped into the village. Or a loud blond dobe yelling about his absence and missing his wedding. But none of that was the case.

He walked through the streets of Konoha, it has indeed been a while since he was back. The buildings seemed a little taller, a new stone face on the Hokage mountain. It felt good to be 'home'. 'home' The word still felt a little foreign in his head. But throughout his travels, he had time to think. flashes of pink and green appeared, Sakura, _Sakura was his home_.

It surprised him how this _annoying_ girl, once weak and needed to be protected all the time, had turned into a mature, beautiful and strong kunoichi. It was especially _annoying_ how she was always in his head. He spent so long clouded by revenge he never realized. It took a while, but ever since he'd poke her forehead and had time to think on his journey's. It dawned on him that he was falling for her, _hard_.

Soft footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. It was so late at night, who would be out at a time like this? He turned his head, only to be met by the person who he'd been thinking about. _Sakura._

Onyx clashed with emerald, the look of surprise was evident on her face, she appeared tired. The dark circles under her eyes, her petite and curvy figure. She appeared exhausted 'tch she hasn't been taking care of herself I see' her skin illuminated by the moonlight, she still looked breathtaking even when she was tired.

Sakura froze, after a 72-hour shift at the hospital, she thought it was a hallucination due to her fatigue. That is until he spoke up.

"Sakura" the dark-haired man spoke

She immediately got into a battle stance, after the incident with Kido she'd been extra careful. And the fact that the man standing in front of her looked exactly like the man she'd been in love with, she took extra precautions. She reached for her kunai pouch while Sasuke stood there, stiff and confused.' Why would she attack me? Isn't she happy to see me after so long.' He thought

"Using Sasuke as a way to trick me isn't going to work, if you're thinking of hurting him then you've got something else coming for you" she spat, the look of tiredness in her eyes, she wobbled a little, swaying back and forth, her legs almost giving out

Sasuke was in other words, confused? Then realization dawned on him, Kido. He remembered the whole incident, it still left his blood boiling. But Sakura, the strong dependent kunoichi that she is, took care of the situation, she wasn't a weak girl anymore, oh she was definitely not weak. When he heard she had taken care of it, a swell of pride bubbled up within his heart, he took care of the remaining men. He lingered a little longer than he should have, which evidently got him discovered by one of the rookie 9. He wanted her to know he had been there, he'd come back to save her, - though it seemed like she didn't need my saving after all- that he _cared for her._

Sasuke smirked "tch, annoying"

At this, Sakura's eyes widened. He was back, here, with us.

"S-s-Sasuke-Kun?" She said with disbelief

"Hn, I'm home Sakura" he spoke slowly walking towards her

She hesitantly put her hand on his cheek and said "Welcome home" before she gave into exhaustion and collapsed

Sasuke immediately put his arm around her waist, seeing her flickering chakra he scoffed. He'd remembered the letters coming from Naruto about her overworking herself 'still as selfless and reckless as ever' he inwardly thought. Then a feeling of worriedness stirred within him 'she really doesn't stop to take care of herself'

He carried her to her apartment. Her place was ordinary, but the homeyness was there. Bookshelves were everywhere, medical scrolls and thick textbooks splayed out on tables and counters. The smell of cherry lingering in the air, and pictures of family and friends on the walls.

He walked towards her room, seeing a picture of team 7's genin photo on the night table. He gently put her down on her bed. Untying her hair from the bun it was put in, taking off her shoes, and wrapped her in a blanket. He left the room, only to come back with a glass of water and a note. He caressed her face, tucking loose strands of her soft pink locks behind her ears. She looked heavenly under the moonlight. A ghost of a smile on her rosy lips, her long lashes, slightly tinted cheeks, and if she wasn't asleep, her emerald green eyes filled with love. How he'd miss those loving eyes.

He left through the window after taking one last glance at her. A smile on his lips, he'll come by later. The sun was slowly lighting up the night sky, he decided to go report to Kakashi at the Hokage tower.

"Sasuke, I see you're back" the Rokudaime greeted

"Hn Kakashi" a ghost of a smile on his lips, it was good to see his old sensei again

"Might I ask what drove you to come back?" he asked with an amused smile that was covered by his mask

"Hn"

"And you're still as social as ever." the Rokudaime said without looking up from his book "Naruto is coming back from a mission, he'll arrive shortly, and Sakura is surely at the hospital around this time"

"I've seen her already" Sasuke replied leaning against the wall

"Oh really" the grey-haired Hokage replied with a sly tone

"When I saw her she fainted due to exhaustion and low chakra, does this happen often?"

"Well you know how Sakura is, she's been overworking herself ever since you left on your journey, Sakura's head of the hospital now, she opened a children's mental health clinic so no one has to ever go through what you and Naruto experienced"

Sasuke's eyes widened 'she really did that, tch that girl, she really is something else'

"Hn, you should give her a day off," Sasuke said with a hint of pride in his voice

Kakashi replied with an amusing tone "my my worried about her aren't you"

Before he could reply, the door slammed open and a loud booming voice filled the room

"TEME YOU BASTARD WHY DIDN'T YOU COME TO MY WEDDING"

"Hn, Naruto" he greeted with a smirk

"Let's head to Ichiraku, I'm starving!"

'tch dobe, he still hasn't changed' he'd miss this, though he would never admit it, never. They both waved at Kakashi and left. After a bowl, or should I say several bowls of ramen at Ichiraku, the duo decided on a spar.

"Heh you've gotten rusty haven't you teme!" the blond yelled while throwing a kunai at his direction

"Tch," he said while he swiftly blocking the attack with his Kusanagi

After their spar, they sat under a tree, Naruto tossed Sasuke a bottle of water while they took a break

"She missed you a lot you know," Naruto said in a low voice laced with seriousness

A pang of guilt hit Sasuke, he spoke "I know"

"You love her don't you" the blue-eyed boy rather stated more than asked

A moment of silence fell between the two

"...She deserves better"

"You're still as clueless as ever," Naruto said as he scoffed "she's been asked on so many dates while you were away ya know" the blond continued

A pang of jealousy hit the Sharingan user "is she..did she…"

A chuckle left Naruto's lips "she refused them all if that's what you're asking" his reply laced with a teasing tone

Sasuke let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, He got up and started to walk away

"Hey, teme! Where do you think you're going!" Naruto yelled out

"hn dobe don't you have a wife waiting for you at home?"

At this naruto yelled out "oh right, I can't keep her waiting!" and left

Sasuke walked around the busy streets of Konoha towards his apartment. Kakashi and Sakura had gotten him a place to hold his belongings while he was away. He went inside, his clothes neatly folded in the drawers, his belongings splayed out on the furniture, not a speck of dust evident. 'Hn definitely sakura's doing' he thought to himself. He took a shower, glanced at the clock. It was 7:00 in the morning. His spar with Naruto didn't last long. Naruto was low on chakra and exhausted from his mission 'tch that dobe'. He decided to take a nap 'i'll go check up on sakura later'

.

.

.

Sakura woke up with a throbbing headache. The sun hitting her eyes irritatingly. She looked around in confusion 'how'd did I get here?' then she remembered 'Sasuke had come back, right? last night I saw him?' to further prove her suspicion she saw a glass of water by the bedside table.

Suddenly she remembers last night.

She blushed embarrassingly at the thought of fainting when she saw him, collapsing in his arms, she inwardly cursed herself for showing weakness in front of him. She got out of bed and took a cold _cold _shower. Sakura got dressed in her usual red top, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and began heading out. She opened the door only to walk into a wall of muscle. She looked up and saw a pair of onyx eyes staring at her

"Gomen Sasuke-Kun I didn't see you! I was just about to head to the hospital" Sakura managed to choke out, cheeks flushed

"Tch annoying, it's your day off"

"Huh?"

"I asked Kakashi to get you a day off," he said with a scoff

"Oh, well since I'm dressed I'll head out and walk around...want to come along?" she spoke with a bright smile

Her smile made the tips of his ears grow warm, he turned his head away from her hiding the small blushed on his face and replied with "hn"

They walked down the busy streets of Konoha, the people all greeted Sakura with smiles. she made sure to greet them back with a bright smile and short conversation. Sasuke watched in awe at her selflessness and kindness, he felt himself falling for her harder. It seemed he wasn't the only one, while walking the men eyed her like a piece of candy. He had to glare at countless men with his Sharingan telling them _she's mine_, they all cowered away in fear while Sasuke smirked

"Do you want to get something to eat? I know a restaurant around here that serves good tomato dishes," she spoke with a giggle "I know how much you love tomatoes"

Her laugh was like music to his ears, the sparkles in her eyes captivated him. "hn" he said, and followed her

They sat in a booth, a comfortable silence fell between the two, he stared at her while she was looking at the menu, he inwardly cursed his lack of skill in starting a conversation. When their food arrived she'd talk to him about her days at the hospital, her progress on the clinic. She would ask him about his travels. He would talk about the beautiful mountains and scenery in Iwagakure and she would listen with marvel in her eyes. Before he could say 'I'll bring you with me this time' a girl with red hair had approached them.

"Sasuke -Kun!" the girl said

"Karin" he greeted

Sakura looked at him with a confused face

"Sakura this is Karin, she's an old...friend"

Sakura's heart broke a little more, Karin had latched herself onto Sasuke's arms and he didn't seem to mind.

"I think I'm going to leave," Sakura said while paying for dinner "I have an early shift at the hospital tomorrow, it was great catching up with you Sasuke-Kun I'll see you around," she said with a fake smile

If she thought Sasuke couldn't see the hurt in her eyes she was wrong. He wanted to chase after her but was only held back by Karin.

"We should catch up, it's been some time since I've last seen you Sasuke-Kun!" she said

Sakura was still in earshot, she quickened her pace while tears were stinging at the corner of her eyes. 'Heh why do I try, he doesn't love me, never will' her low self-esteem starting taking over her. Then a hand was on her shoulder, she flinched and turned back to see who it was

"Hey beautiful, why are you here all by yourself. You should come home with me, we could have a little fun" a brown-haired man said with a smirk

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested" Sakura replied, her voice a little irritated

The man gripped her shoulder a little tighter "come on baby girl, why not"

Before she could throw a chakra infused punch at the mans face, a dark figure had stood behind her. The sound of his Sharingan activating

"she said she's not interested" the Sharingan user stated

"Geez okay I was only asking," said the brown hair man before scurrying away

"I could've taken care of him by myself you know?"

He scoffed "You should be more careful"

"Why are you here, didn't you need to catch up with Karin?" she asked

He didn't fail to hear the hurt in her voice "hn" was his reply

They walked in silence until they reach Sakura's apartment, she invited him inside and made tea while Sasuke sat on the couch. They shared tea in a semi-comfortable silence, Sakura was reading her medical texts, oblivious to Sasuke's stare. After finishing her tea she got up to put their cups into the sink.

"You shouldn't have just left her you know," she said with her back to him, washing the two cups

At this Sasuke was confused 'did she just? Why would I want to talk to Karin when I could be here with you?'

"Don't you….do you... still...love me?" he said

Sakura felt tears at the corner of her eyes, she closed her eyes so tears won't slip down her face

"Just because someone loves another doesn't mean they have to be theirs" she took in a shaky breath "I want you to be happy Sasuke-Kun, even if the person isn't me. Watching you happy from far away is more than enough for me" she said while smiling, she just wanted him to be happy, he had lost so much "don't let my feelings burden you, I will always love and support you Sasuke-Kun" her voice cracked at his name. It hurt, knowing he'll never feel the same, but if he's happy, that's all that matters

Sasuke's eyes widened 'tch stupid woman she was wrong, she was so _so wrong_ he wanted to yell at her, how could she ever have come up with that

"Sakur-"

"Don't feel guilty, it's okay" she choked out

Sasuke couldn't take it anymore, he got up and walked towards her.

She was too caught up in trying to hold back her tears, she jumped when Sasuke suddenly engulfed her in a hug. His arms around her waist, his head buried in her hair as he inhaled the sweet vanilla scent of her

"You're the only one I love, only one I'll ever love" he mumbled against her shoulder

At this Sakura's tears slipped down her cheek she took in a shaky breath and put her arms around his neck

"I... I love you Sakura" he said, voice muffled by her hair

"I love you too Sasuke-Kun," she said as she pulled back and put her hand on his cheek

He looked into her eyes, she gave a beaming smile that made his heart skip a beat, her glossy eyes filled with love mesmerized him. Slowly he dipped his head down and brushed his lips against hers in a sweet kiss. She was shocked at this, then slowly her lips moved against his in a slow passionate kiss. His hands tangled in her silky hair to deepen the kiss. When they pulled away both with a need for air. He gave a soft smile reserved only for her, he cupped her cheeks and wiped away her tears with his thumb

"Tch stop crying, annoying"

She gave him a wholehearted laugh and rest her head against his chest. His grip around her waist tighten.

She mumbled against his chest "Are you leaving soon?"

He rested his chin on top of her head and said "In a few weeks, come with me this time"

Her eyes widened, she nodded and gave him the brightest smile, her swollen lips from the kiss, her glossy eyes and her rose dusted cheeks

He cupped her face lovingly and took her lips once again, Her hands tangled in his raven locks his hand on her waist. He licked her bottom lip, she gasped, and he took this opportunity to slip his tongue in her mouth. They massaged their tongues together, neither knew how much time had passed until their need for oxygen and they pulled apart.

"Come on it's getting late, we should sleep," he said with a tender smile

She nodded while he took her to her bedroom with their intertwined fingers

They lay in bed, both tired from the day's events, he put his arm around her waist, pulling her close against his chest. Holding onto her as if he was going to lose her if he didn't. He rested his chin on top of her head.

"I love you Sasuke-Kun," she said while placing a sweet chaste kiss on his lips

"I love you too, now go to sleep" he mumbled against her lips and pulled her closer

She mumbled a soft "g' night" against his chest until sleep finally took over. He listened to her even breaths until he said a soft "goodnight" and kissed her forehead where the purple seal is until her slow rhythmic breathing finally brought him to sleep as well. 'Oh how he loved her'


End file.
